H.S. baseball: Steven Papadopoulos an RBI machine for Dumont

Catcher Steven Papadopoulos, who has four homers and 20 RBI, enjoys chatting with umpires.

DUMONT — Steven Papadopoulos knows how to make friends and influence people. And that includes umpires.

The Dumont senior catcher is a friendly, outgoing young man, so perhaps it’s only natural that he strikes up conversations with the guys breathing down his neck all spring. But it’s more than just a quick hello or a comment about the weather.

“He’s such a likeable kid,” said Dumont coach Jason Cannici. “All the umpires love him. He knows all their first names, and after games, he tells me about them.”

A little gamesmanship, perhaps? A bid for a little edge?

“Oh, I wouldn’t call it a strategy, but maybe it helps,” Papadopoulos said with a smile. “I like to have fun when I’m playing. I like to talk to the hitters, too.

“These are the same umpires we’ve been working with for years. When you get to know them, maybe they’re a little more forgiving. They have my back, don’t they?”

But Papadopoulos has been bringing a lot more than charm to the Huskies lineup. The first year varsity player has emerged as one of the most productive run producers in North Jersey, hitting four home runs and driving in 20 runs to help Dumont (10-3) win the Big North American Division title for the fifth time in six seasons.

“He’s really stepped it up big for us,” Cannici said.

Cannici can say that about a lot of his players. This is a team that spent April ironing out several preseason question marks as it climbed to No. 12 in The Record baseball Top 25.

The Huskies have won six straight heading into today’s showdown with No. 11 River Dell, scoring 63 runs along the way.

“Before the season, there were a lot of doubts,” Papadopoulos said. “A lot of doubts from everyone. We made a lot of mistakes in losing [19-9] to Westwood on opening day.

“But making mistakes and losing can be a good thing. Especially if you learn from those mistakes.”

The Huskies really put themselves on the map two weeks ago when they beat Mahwah and Ramsey in consecutive games. That started this winning streak, and Papadopoulos said that it also began to forge this team’s identity.

“That whole week was important,” Papadopoulos said. “We started the week as a bunch of individuals, but because of those games, we started to mesh as a team.”

The 5-foot-10, 170-pound Papadopoulos is quick to give credit for his run production to the players who hit ahead of him. Senior center fielder Justin Reidy has emerged as one of North Jersey’s top leadoff men, while players such as senior right fielder Michael DiGirolamo (14 RBI) and junior third baseman Kevin Barone (15 RBI) have been quite productive.

Cannici said he wants to see Papadopoulos cut down on his strikeouts. He’s been working on hitting the ball to the opposite field, especially with two strikes.

“I’ve always had a big swing,” Papadopoulos said. “I’m always ready to take a big hack at the ball. I don’t want to cheat myself out of an at-bat.”

Papadopoulos has done a nice job handling a pitching staff that has exceeded expectations. He said he has developed a nice chemistry with his pitchers after catching them in various venues over the years.

“I know there’s always pressure on a catcher,” Papadopoulos said. “You’re the one making the calls, and a lot of what you do affects the rest of the game.

“Maybe it’s the pitch you call or how you react with a pitcher. But there’s chemistry there. They know what I do, and I know them.”

And while Papadopoulos’ bat is his calling card, it’s only part of what makes him valuable to the Huskies.

“He’s a big voice out there for us. A positive voice. He just wants to do well. He just wants to win.”

Papadopoulos also wrestled for the Huskies. He was a captain last winter and got off to a 15-2 start before injuries slowed him down.

Baseball, however, is his first love, and he hopes he’ll get a chance to play at the next level. He’s attending Felician College in the fall, majoring in criminal justice with his eye on becoming a police officer.